Two-part traveler



May 1967 A. J. WAYSON ETAL 3,318,081

TWO -PART TRAVELER Filed Sept. 9, 1964 122198222302 6.- flndflew J. Waysom fliageio G/.Buca7zicuaeflz,

bywwrwflibrwaeys United States Patent 0 3,318,081 TWO-PART TRAVELER Andrew J. Waysou, Needham, and Angelo G. Bucchianeri,

Millis, Mass., assignors to Merriman, Inc., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Sept. 9, 1964, Ser. No. 395,171 6 Claims. (Cl. 57125) This invention relates to the textile industry and more particularly to an improved traveler construction for use with either horizontal or vertical-type spinning rings.

Gradual technological improvements in the textile industry have resulted in higher spindle speeds with an accompanying increase in the productive capacities of spinning and twisting apparatus. Although beneficial in this respect, the increased spindle speeds have also caused accelerated wear of associated components, particularly the travelers which rotate about the spindles on the spinning rings. Experience has shown that a traveler is subjected to two basic types of frictional wear. To begin with, there is the wear occasioned by the travelers frictional contact with the spinning ring as it moves around the spindle during the spinning operation. In addition, there is the wear resulting from the constant frictional contact of the twisted yarn as it passes from the feed rolls to be wound on the bobbin. Attempts have been made in the past to provide a traveler capable of successfully withstanding these different types of wear for extended periods of time without undergoing premature failures which interrupt continuous operation.

For example, travelers have heretofore been made of steel, bronze, and in some instances of synthetic materials such as plastic, nylon, fibreglass and the like. Although steel travelers have been found to wear well in the yarn engaging areas, they often fail prematurely in the areas that contact the spinning rings. By the same token, travelers constructed of synthetic materials have been found to have excellent wearing properties relative to the spinning ring but poor wearing properties relative to the twisted yarn passing thereunder. The same has been found true of bronze travelers which also wear well relative to the spinning ring. In short, where travelers have been constructed of a single material, premature failures have been experienced at the areas in contact with either the spinning ring or the yarn due to the different types of frictional wear occasioned by the spinning ring and yarn.

In an attempt to overcome this problem, some travelers were subsequently constructed of synthetic materials with a steel insert at the place of frictional contact with the yarn. Although these bimaterial travelers were found to have much improved wearing properties relative to both the spinning ring and yarn, they suffered from other disadvantages such as the difliculty and expense involved in their manufacture and the somewhat cumbersome constructions that resulted.

These difficulties have now been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention which has as a general object the provision of a two-part traveler having improved wearing properties relative to both the spinning ring and yarn without any of the accompanying undesirable factors mentioned above. This is accomplished by constructing one part of the traveler, sometimes referred to as the runner, of a synthetic material such as plastic or nylon which has good wearing properties relative to the spinning ring. The runner is suitably adapted to receive in engagement therewith a replaceable yarn engaging member, usually made of steel. This two-part construction provides a well balanced, low cost traveler having greatly improved wearing properties.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a traveler with inexpensive replaceable components,

thereby decreasing operating costs. More particularly, experience has shown that the continuous frictional engagement of the twisted yarn passing under the traveler I eventually causes failure of the yarn engaging member while the synthetic runner is still relatively unworn. By providing a runner adapted to be used with inexpensive replaceable yarn engaging members, runners may be utilized for extended periods of time at a substantial saving to the manufacturer.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents a plan view of a vertical-type spinning ring having a traveler embodying the concepts of the present invention slidably mounted thereon;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation of the traveler illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 removed from the spinning ring;

FIG. 4 is a rear end view of the traveler shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view in elevation of the yarn engaging member;

a FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the runner;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of a horizontal-type spinning ring with a modified form ofthe invention adapted for use therewith;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 99 of FIG. 8.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein are best shown general features of the invention, a vertical type spinning ring referred to by the reference numeral 10 is shown having a traveler 12 according to the present invention slidably mounted thereon. It is, of course, to be understood that although not shown in FIG. 1, the spinning ring 10 normally surrounds a rotating spindle having a bobbin mounted thereon. The twisted yarn 14 passes from overlying feed rolls (not shown) under the traveler 12 to be thereafter wound on the bobbin. By vertically displacing the spinning ring relative to the rotating spindle, a uniform distribution of yarn is deposited. on the bobbin.

The spinning ring 10 which in the embodiment disclosed is fabricated of powdered metal to provide a somewhat porous construction, is shown peripherally engaged by an outer ring holder 16. Spinning ring 10 is additionally provided with a continuous wick groove 18 which cooperates with the inner face of ring holder 16 to provide an annular passageway containing one or more circular wicks 20.

Ring holder 16 is further provided with an oil well 22 in communication by means of an inner radially disposed passageway 24 with the passageway containing wicks 20. Foreign contaminants such as dirt and dust are prevented from entering the oil well by a cover member 26.

With the aforementioned construction, oil introduced into oil well 22 flows radially through passageway 24 to wick groove 18. The oil is then absorbed by wicks 20 and carried around the circumference of spinning ring 10. Thereafter, due to the porous nature of the spinning ring, the oil finds its way to the surface to provide a means of lubrication for the traveler 12 slidably mounted thereon. The aforementioned description of the spinning ring, ring holder and lubricating means are well known to the industry and are not considered as part of the present invention which resides principallyin the two-part traveler construction to be hereinafter described.

Traveler 12 is comprised of two components, one being the runner portion 28 shown singularly in FIG. 6. The runner portion may be fabricated of any suitable material such as plastic having good wearing properties relative to the spinning ring with which it will be in frictional contact when operatively positioned as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A yarn engaging member 30, shown singularly in FIG. 5, comprises the other component of the traveler 12. Yarn engaging member 30 is fabricated of steel or some other suitable material having good wearing qualities relative to the twisted yarn 14 and is bent inwardly as at 32 and 34 to provide a base portion 36, an intermediate portion 37 and an upper hook portion 38.

The means for connecting yarn engaging member 30 with runner portion 28 to provide a complete traveler assembly is comprised of a groove 40 extending around the outer surface of runner portion 28. Groove 40 is of a width and depth sufficient to receive the lower and intermediate portions 36 and 37 of member 30 in tight engagement therein when assembled as shown in FIGS. 1-4. Base portion 36 conforms to the shape of groove 40 to tightly surround the lower portion of runner 28 as indicated in the drawings.

Once assembled, the traveler 12 is mounted on spinning ring 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In a preferred arrangement the ring 10 instead of having parallel vertical sides, may be enlarged at the bottom as at 42 and the interior of runner 28 may be correspondingly shaped to hold itself in place there-on without assistance from member 30. The resilience of the plastic material allows the runner to be snapped into place on the ring. This construction prevents loss of the runner when the yarn engaging member 30 ultimately fails during the spinning operation. More particularly, this gripping action permits runner 28 to remain mounted on the spinning ring where it may be readily retrieved by an operator instead of falling to the floor as soon as the yarn engaging member 30 fails. Once retrieved, the remaining portion of the yarn engaging member 30 still seated within groove 40 is simply separated from runner 28 and a new yarn engaging member reassembled with the runner. This is accomplished with a minimum loss of time and in addition, provides the manufacturer with a considerably saving due to the low cost of the yarn engaging members 30. It will be understood however that the invention is not to be limited to a traveler designed to engage a ring of the type shown, but instead may conform to any type of vertical or horizontal ring.

While the illustration in FIG. 2 shows the runner 28 to be in close engagement with ring 10* over a substantial area, it is to be understood that the runner has sufiicient clearance to travel freely about the ring the same as conventional travelers. Furthermore, those familiar with this art will appreciate that the combination of centrifugal force driving the traveler outwardly and the inward pull of yarn 14 results in little or no engagement of member 30 with the ring 10 during normal operation. In other words failure of member 30 occurs because of wear with yarn 14, not with ring 10.

FIGURES 8 and 9 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the invention adapted for use with a horizontal spinning ring indicated in the drawings by the reference numeral 44. In this embodiment runner 46 slidable freely on ring 44, assumes a somewhat semicircular construction with a peripheral groove 48 again cut into its outer surface. The yarn engaging member 50 is suitably shaped to seat itself tightly within groove 48 as shown in FIG. 9 and is capable of being quickly and efiiciently replaced by another identical yarn engaging member when failure occurs during the spinning operation through wear caused by yarn 14. Here as in FIG. 2, there is little or no contact of member 50 with ring 44 during normal operation.

It is our intention to cover all changes and modifications of the invention herein chosen for purposes of disclosure Which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A two-part traveler of the type slidably mounted on a spinning ring comprising the combination of: a ring engaging member shaped to engage one edge only of the said ring and formed of a material having good wear resistant properties relative to said ring, a yarn engaging member separable from said ring engaging member and formed of a material having good wear resistant properties relative to the yarn in frictional engagement therewith, and means for interconnecting said members whereby said yarn engaging member can engage only the other edge of said ring and may be quickly replaced when worn.

2. The traveler as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ring engaging member is formed of a synthetic material and has a groove in its outer surface and said yarn engaging member is formed of an elongated steel member suitably shaped at its lower end to engage within said groove in the outer surface of said ring engaging member while providing a hook at its upper end through which said yarn may pass.

3. A traveler for use with a spinning ring having oppositely disposed edges, said traveler comprising a first member shaped to be slidably engaged on said spinning ring, said first member formed of material having good wear resistant properties with respect to said ring, means integral with said first member for receiving in separable engagement therewith a replaceable yarn engaging member formed of a different material having good wear resistant properties with respect to the yarn in frictional engagement therewith, said first member capable of making contact with only one edge of the ring and said yarn engageable member capable of making contact with only the other edge of the ring.

4. A traveler for use with a spinning ring comprising the combination of: a ring engaging member designed to run in slidable engagement along the circumference of said spinning ring during the spinning operation, said ring engaging member being formed of a material having good wearing properties with respect to said spinning ring, a second yarn engaging member having one end bent to form a hook through which yarn is passed during the spinning operation, the other end of said yarn engaging member shaped to conform to the outer surface of said ring engaging member, said yarn engaging member being fabricated of a different material having good wearing properties with respect to yarn in frictional engagement therewith, and means for connecting said yarn engaging member to said ring engaging member to provide a complete traveler assembly, said means comprising a groove in the outer surface of said ring engaging member of sufiicient width to accept said yarn engaging member in secure engagement therein.

5. A two-part traveler for use on a spinning ring, said traveler comprising a pair of connected oppositely disposed facing hook portions, one part of said traveler comprising a single hook portion which is of relatively large cross-sectional dimension as compared with other oppositely disposed hook portion, said one part having a curved hook like groove in its outer surface, the other part of said traveler comprising a double hook portion with an intermediate section of which one hook is shaped to conform to and is located in said groove in separable engagement with said single hook portion and the other hook of the said double hook portion is oppositely disposed to said single hook portion, the two oppositely disposed hook portions being connected by the said intermediate section of said double hook portion, the single hook portion having good wearing characteristics with respect to movement about a spinning ring and the double hook portion having good wearing characteristics with respect to yarn passing thereagainst.

6. A two-part traveler for use with a spinning ring comprising the combination of: a first member adapted to frictionally engage the surfaces of one edge only of said spinning ring during the spinning operation, a second member adapted to frictionally engage yarn passing thereagainst and overlapping the other edge of said spinning ring, and interconnecting means in the form of a groove in said first member for receiving said second member in replaceable engagement therewith, said groove having a lateral dimension of sufficient width to accept said second member in secure engagement therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,683,346 7/1954 Pieper 57-125 6 2,919,080 12/1959 Moore 57-125 2,973,556 3/1961 Morin 57125 2,999,276 8/1961 Morin 57-125 XR 3,055,166 9/1962 Morin 57-125 FOREIGN PATENTS 901,490 7/1962 Great Britain. 957,565 5/1964 Great Britain.

FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner. 2,91 780 12/19 9 B w n 51425 A. smon, D. E. WATKINS, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A TWO-PART TRAVELER OF THE TYPE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON A SPINNING RING COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF: A RING ENGAGING MEMBER SHAPED TO ENGAGE ONE EDGE ONLY OF THE SAID RING AND FORMED OF A MATERIAL HAVING GOOD WEAR RESISTANT PROPERTIES RELATIVE TO SAID RING, A YARN ENGAGING MEMBER SEPARABLE FROM SAID RING ENGAGING MEMBER AND FORMED OF A MATERIAL HAVING GOOD WEAR RESISTANT PROPERTIES RELATIVE TO THE YARN IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH, AND MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING SAID MEMBERS WHEREBY SAID YARN ENGAGING MEMBER CAN ENGAGE ONLY THE OTHER EDGE OF SAID RING AND MAY BE QUICKLY REPLACED WHEN WORN. 